Considering a 410
 

I've never owned a gun.

I haven't shot a gun in 15 years. (I've shot .22 rifles, 10 gauge shotguns, 12 gauge shotguns, .50 muzzle-loading black powder muskets, and .30-06 rifles--never shot a hand gun.)

Seeing news coverage of New Orleans has got me and the wife thinking that we are only one tornado or flood away from mass pandemonium here.

I have several questions.

1) Are there any models/manufactures I should avoid? Any I should seek out? What are the differences between pump and lever action?

2) What are the best/accepted methods for storage?

3) Is anyone aware of any gun laws in IL that I should be aware of? I tried searching il.gov and came up with nothing. Any federal laws that I should know about?

4) Do any gun ranges allow target practice with shotguns? I have only shot clay pidgeons with them.

5) Anything else I should know about gun ownership?

Please keep this civil. If your comment is along the lines of "don't buy a gun", don't bother posting. The decision has been made. Much like the political wrangling, a post here is unlikely to change anyone's mind.

If it's for personal protection, get a shotgun with a simple mechanism. Semi-autos are nice, but more likely to jam. Pump shotguns are generally more reliable and single-shot or double barrel models even more so.

Not sure what local laws are, but safe storage depends on whether or not kids are in the house. In California, I think guns and ammo need to be in separate, locked cabinets.

Avoid the 410 - to little shot to make it useful for hunting (with out experience) and certainly not enough for self defense.

Get a 12 ga. pump shotgun - Mossberg 500 or similar, less than $250 new.

They make 5 pellet double ought buck shells for a .410 A .410 would be easier for a woman to handle if needed and "00" will stop anything.

My thoughts exactly. I have no problem with a 10 or 12 gauge. But our intention is to get something that both my wife and I are capable and willing to use. I'm fairly certain that a larger bore shotgun would intimidate her.

I question the suitability of shotguns for in house defense. It's harder to maneuver and easier for an assailant to grab. I can see having a shotgun sitting on your lap while you rock on the front porch during times of crisis, but not when you hear someone breaking in and then coming down the hall to your bedroom at night. Just my opinion.
BTW: If you do hear someone breaking in at night, the last thing you want to do is leave your ensconced defensive position (where you have the advantage) and go downstairs and confront the intruder.
-Chris

Obviously no expert. :)

Mossberg used to make a .410 called the HD410. It was a 6-shot 410 built on a smaller plastic stock. Easier for a smaller person to handle. It had a pistol grip on the forend with a laser built in that was activated when you grabbed the grip.
THe good thing about a .410, by the way, is that it lacks the power to penetrate 2 sheets of drywall with enough energy to hurt your sleeping kids. pets. or domestic servants in the next room.

When you're sprayin' lead in the house, in a fit of Ramboism, you don't want to take out the rest of the family too.
Probably.

Edit: added link to Mossberg HS410

http://www.mossberg.com/pcatalog/Specpurp.htm
Scroll down.

The thought wasn't for home defense as much as for defense in a time of crisis. We're both uncomfortable with the thought of keeping a loaded handgun close by--probably the only realistic weapon for home defense. If we were burglarized, we would call the police (we both have cell phones). Besides, the number of police officers living in our neighborhood is the best deterrent of all.

We'd keep it locked away and only bring out if the type of behaviour seen in NO starts happening.

Can't happen here you say? Our wonderful governor has done a good job of relocating gang members from Chicago to our town. Just the kind of people who would take advantage of a breakdown in law and order on a moment's notice.

I'd go with a 20 ga if the wife is worried about a 12ga although in a time of crisis I doubt she's going to be worried about having too big a gun. I think of a 410 as something for an expert shooter or a small kid.

Whatever the largest GA your wife is comfortable with get a pump gun... very reliable and there is something incredibly intimidating about the click clak of one being loaded, that sound alone can send some bad guys running.

You might consider for you survival kit, a 12 GA street sweeper for you and a used .357 revolver loaded with .38 specials for you wife.

I am not a fan of guns, but I can see where you are coming from. If I owned a house, I would seriously consider buying a gun too.

Does anyone have any answers to my questions above other than a preferred gauge/bore size?

FWIW I am not a big fan of guns either... but my first house was in a gang neighborhood where gun fights were weekly events. Amazing how much better a tree hugging old hippy can sleep with a 12 GA next to him in bed while the gangster are out shooting at each other in the night.

Now I am in a much better hood and the shotgun is unloaded and in it's case in the closet. This being earthquake country I don't think I will get rid of it or the 9mm soon.

All this talk of guns has me thinking of getting that .357 I always wanted though!

A 20ga could double as a "fun" gun. A .410 is strictly an experts gun. Shooting skeet or sporting clays once in a while would be fun and keep you familiar with the gun's operation at the same time.
-Chris

Okay I no expert but...

Buy a Mossberg pump in whatever Ga. you like, I have not owned one but they have made a bazillion of them, I have never heard anything bad about about them, and they are relatively cheap.

Most ranged will not allow shot guns because they smoke too much (so I have been told).

Clean and oil gun ever four to six months AND after shooting, again I'm no expert so someone may have better recommendations.

I know nothing about Ill. laws

1) There are a few shoddy Russian gunmakers and what not that I'd avoid but I can't think of their names offhand. Stick with Remington, Mossbery, Benelli, Browning. You can't go wrong. I have a Remington 870 Express 12ga (it's a pump) around here somewhere, it's well made, shoots well, and should last a very long time.

2) I'm not sure what exactly you mean by storage, but, I prefer, a locked, hard case with a trigger lock on the gun. Hard cases are nice because you have less of a chance of buggering something up if you drop it or it falls over. A nice soft case will do the trick, too, if you don't anticipate having the gun in a heavily trafficed area. Keep ammo somewhere low in humidity.

3) Probably not, other than having to get a FOID card. I'm sure you came across that already, though. Other than that? Probably just barrel size limits and things of that nature.

4) I've never been to Bloomington, so I can't say for the ranges there, but the range I used to frequent in my neck of the woods (about an hour North of Chicago) allowed both rifles and shotguns, as well as blackpowder and pistols. I saw a bunch of guys sighting in their turkey guns all the time. Wouldn't hurt to call local ranges though.

5) Yup. Everything you do, now, will affect the gun owning community as a whole. If you kill somebody, it's just another piece in the Anti-Gun Lobby's case, etc etc. "Local gun-owner..blah blah blah". I'm sure that's obvious but, ya know.

And...TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUNS! I know so many people who have guns and never clean them or take care of them, and they are turning to hell. If you handle your gun, wipe it down with a special rag for cleaning oils off gunmetals and wood. If you shoot it, clean it as soon after as you can (don't overclean, either), don't let it sit for a few weeks. Make take a firearms class or something if they have them locally. There are many fine points to shooting that a lot of shooters don't know.

I'm rambling here, so I'll stop. Do some research, shoot some guns, and then figure out what fits you best. And then tell us what you got, so we can let you into the circle and tell you what WE got;);)

Split the difference and get a 16 ga. Nice SXS double. Look at Lefevers as they are good, old, reliable, guns that are going up in value. I have one that is 30" barrels an one that is 18.50" barrels.

Every scumbag knows the sound of a pump shotgun being racked.

Legion, I have a cheap mossberg 12 ga pump that works flawlessly. My 15 and 17 year old daughters have each fired it without issue and they are only about 100lb skinny girls. If they can handle it without issue, I am sure your wife can too. A 12 ga pump shotgun is a very useful utilitarian gun that will serve you well thru the years whether for varmint's up near the house, or home protection. I have a flashlight attached to mine and it is perfect for possum and skunks that raid our cat food on our year deck at night. If you ever move into a rural setting, you will be glad you have it.

If you have kids...get a safe or lock em up somehow..it's the law.
For transport any kind of case will do. They make them in a range that goes from a long tube sock like thing to hardside locking cases. Your choice.

Clean and oil after use and monthly go over them to make sure they stay that way.

My range allows shotguns but NOT with birdshot. It's plays hell with the traps. You can use buckshot or rifled slugs though.

Take a good gun safety course, and get a permit if your state allows it.

That seems a little harsh. Kids should be allowed to go out and play. I can see locking them up at night maybe. :D
-Chris